Second VA-36 (U.S. Navy)

Attack Squadron 36
VA-36 squadron insignia
Active	6 March 1987-1 April 1994
Country	United States
Branch	United States Navy
Role	Attack
Part of	Inactive
Nickname(s)	Roadrunners
Engagements	Gulf War
Aircraft flown
Attack	A-6E Intruder

Second VA-36, nicknamed the Roadrunners, was an Attack Squadron of the U.S. Navy. It was the second squadron to be assigned the VA-36 designation. The squadron was established on 6 March 1987 at NAS Oceana, Virginia, where it was based during its entire life. It flew the A-6E Intruder until it was disestablished on 1 April 1994.^[1]

Operational history

VA-36 A-6Es from USS Theodore Roosevelt during a sortie in the 1991 Gulf War

• 30 Dec 1988: VA-36 deployed aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt for the carrier’s maiden cruise to the Mediterranean Sea.

• 20 Jan–28 Feb 1991: The squadron participated in Operation Desert Storm, combat operations against Iraq.

• Apr–Jun 1991: The squadron participated in Operation Provide Comfort, a multi-national operation providing relief and aid for Kurdish refugees in northern Iraq.

• Mar–Sep 1993: The squadron, along with other units of CVW-8, deployed aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt in a new approach to joint operations to test the Navy’s ability to project a wide range of power and mobility from the sea. The composition on the carrier during the deployment included the regular air wing, minus an F-14 and S-3 squadron, and a Special Marine Air-Ground Task Force consisting of a Marine Corps fixedwing and helicopter squadron and a company of Marines. The mix of units provided the carrier with the ability to project air and ground striking power ashore from a single deck.

• Jun 1993: The squadron, along with other units embarked on USS Theodore Roosevelt, operated in the Red Sea in support of a strike on the Iraqi Intelligence Service headquarters building in Baghdad in response to Iraq’s attempt on the life of former President George H. W. Bush while on a visit to Kuwait in April. During this time, the squadron also participated in Operation Southern Watch missions, enforcing the U. N. no-fly zone within southern Iraq.

See also

• VA-36 (U.S. Navy)
• History of the United States Navy
• List of inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons.

1. Grossnick, Roy A. (1995). Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons, Volume 1, Chapter 2, Section 2: Attack Squadron Histories for VA-34 to VA-38 (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy. Retrieved 2014-02-08.